Shotgun choice for a newbie?

[PNWguy]

Buddy of mine knows nothing about shotguns, or firearms in general. He is thinking he needs to have a decent pump-action 12ga shotgun. He might use it shoot trap occasionally and also for possible home-defense.

 

I steered him towards the Mossbergs and Remington 870. He found the Mossberg 88 package with the field barrel and short barrel for $235. Anything wrong with that combo?

 

He's on a strict budget; like $300 or less budget...

 

 

[Pepiot]

Not at all, the maverick 88 is a great shotgun. I prefer it over my mossberg 500, mainly due to the heavy trigger pull on the 500.

[NPTim]

Mossberg is a good brand.

[stevekozak]

I would say 870 and done.

[ChuteTheMall]

Brand new? Mossberg for sure.

 

Remington/Marlin/Tapco/H&R doesn't make them like they used to, before Cerberus/Freedom Group beancounters took over.

 

I don't think a n00b should buy a used gun without good advice and help.

 

And if money is tight, there are Chinese clones which are better than ever, FWIW, like the NEF Pardner Pump and Norinco's IAC Hawk 982.

 

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...EFENSE+SHOTGUN

 

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/2084_37_288/Interstate+Arms+Corp./

 

 

 

[deputy tom]

He found the Mossberg 88 package with the field barrel and short barrel for $235.

 

^^ Tell him go for the 88 combo. tom. :thumbsup:

[willie-pete]

I am partial to 870's, but haven't bought one in quite a while; never owned a Mossy. - well, except for the Shockwave Thingee. I don't count that as a shotgun.

 

Wp

Edited August 14, 2017 by willie-pete

[Bruce]

Maybe a decade or so ago there was often a guy at the gun shows around here who had a couple racks of used 870s presumably from an agency or agencies as they had numbers painted or sometimes engraved into the stocks. The better looking ones were maybe $150 and ones with more wear less. I miss those days.

[ROB]

For what he's spending, the Maverick combo is a great choice...essentially cheap finished mossy 500.

[Bren]

Not hard to find a Remington 870 express for $200 or less at a gun show and a spare barrel for the other $100 at the show, on Ebay, etc., and he has the gun he needs.

[RustyL]

Everyone I own is 870, you can't beat them. 20 ga. for small , 12 ga. for birds, and 12ga. Supermag 3.5 inch for turkey

[Jason D]

In today's market, the only good current 870 is the police magnum. It's still built with quality parts and a high attention to detail. It it however just about double his budget. The below gun is a 2016 870P. I was under the impression they were NOS from the late 90's as the reviews seemed to suggest, but they were brand new. Your buddy can get into an Express model that is new for around that budget if he shops around. I have an Express model made by the current Remington, though it's a few years old. It's an ok gun, but the police model makes it look and feel like a turd.

 

Unless he could get a nice used 870P model, he should pass on Remington all together.

 

I don't know enough to speak about the Mossbergs, but I have handled some current 500's and 590's. I'd take one of those over a low end Express model Remington any day of the week.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2017 by Jason D

[JJHNSN]

Buddy of mine knows nothing about shotguns, or firearms in general. He is thinking he needs to have a decent pump-action 12ga shotgun. He might use it shoot trap occasionally and also for possible home-defense.

 

I steered him towards the Mossbergs and Remington 870. He found the Mossberg 88 package with the field barrel and short barrel for $235. Anything wrong with that combo?

 

He's on a strict budget; like $300 or less budget...

 

 

 

You gave your buddy good advice. I was a Remington 870 fan for years, but frankly, between Freedom Group nonsense and some of the design flaws on the Remmy, I moved over to Mossbergs and have never looked back.

 

My shotty of choice these days is a Mossberg 590A1 Magpul edition with extended magazine tube.

 

Much noise. Much shooting. Much fun.

[Eric]

Mossberg 500 Persuader. Great pump gun.

 

Here is mine:

 

 

[Jason D]

46 minutes ago, Eric said:

Mossberg 500 Persuader. Great pump gun.

 

Here is mine:

 

 

GREEN... GREEN... GREENY, GREEN!

[Eric]

Just now, Jason D said:

GREEN... GREEN... GREENY, GREEN!

Its my E-Lime-inator.

[Jason D]

9 minutes ago, Eric said:

Its my E-Lime-inator.

I think it short circuited me for a second. It is highly unique and would be easy to pick out of a line up for sure. 

[Eric]

3 minutes ago, Jason D said:

I think it short circuited me for a second. It is highly unique and would be easy to pick out of a line up for sure. 

Well, I probably won't be out sticking up any liquor stores with it. If it ever gets used in anger, it will be because someone came into my home after me. The shotgun's color may raise some eyebrows, but I don't see how anyone could use it against me.

[holyjohnson]

i`ve had the same Mossberg 500 Cruiser for 29 years and it has gone through everything from stock wood furniture to tacticool barrel shrouds and folding stocks back to wood again.

it has been thrown in trunks,hunted in the rain and snow,sat in the Library hutch in my work toolbox,sat beside desks in some more questionable shops i`ve worked and been with me through a lot of bumps in the night.

it has been fairly abused in 29 years and has never not gone bang when i wanted it to.

Tim McGraw oughta write a song about that shottie.

 

it is not green though.

[Eric]

1 hour ago, holyjohnson said:

i`ve had the same Mossberg 500 Cruiser for 29 years and it has gone through everything from stock wood furniture to tacticool barrel shrouds and folding stocks back to wood again.

it has been thrown in trunks,hunted in the rain and snow,sat in the Library hutch in my work toolbox,sat beside desks in some more questionable shops i`ve worked and been with me through a lot of bumps in the night.

it has been fairly abused in 29 years and has never not gone bang when i wanted it to.

Tim McGraw oughta write a song about that shottie.

 

it is not green though.

 

Does that make you green? You know, with the envy?

 

You are right. The Mossberg 500 is a rugged gun. It will take abuse, neglect, indifference and the occasional snobbish sneers of Benelli owners and it will still fire every time you pull the trigger. I bought mine new at a Walmart for $187, in 1998. It has gone through pretty much the same wardrobe changes as yours, plus the green paintjob and it keeps on keeping on.

I like the 590 every bit as much as the 500, but I don't see where the added features the 590 comes with outweighs the additional cost, for the average owner. For the vast majority of us, what will we ever have to aks a shotgun to do for us? Do we need the mag tube and barrel to be good and heavy, for a bayonet mount? Is the fact that the trigger group and safety of the 590 metal, as opposed to the plastic components of the 500 really an issue?

The 500 is more than enough gun for just about everyone. Of course, this being America, anyone has a right to get the biggest, baddest shotgun they want, or they are free to take their shotgun and paint it a shocking shade of green.

[Old Buzzard]

I sprinkle Mossbergs throughout my house.

[GeorgiaGlocker]

It's hard to beat a Mossy 500.

[Someday]

I enjoy my Mossy 590. I've never shot the 500, but I can't see it making much of a difference for me (I really don't shoot it much).

[JJHNSN]

Eric, that lime green shotgun just permanently damaged my retinas.

[GlockPride]

11 hours ago, JJHNSN said:

Eric, that lime green shotgun just permanently damaged my retinas.

And every time some jackwad uses 'shotty' like you did earlier, my ears vomit.  I mean, come on, shotgun is literally ONE more letter   You're not saving yourself any time and you sound 'un-gun-educated'.   

 

Now, back to the matter at hand.  I'm an 870 fan.  The older, better built ones.  The Maverick 88 always felt 'cheap' and man they rattle and make noise all the time.  If doing Mossberg, I like the 590A1 series or the 930.  The 930 is nice and doesn't require pumping.  Were it me, I'd have two shotguns: one for hunting with a 26-28" barrel and one for defense with an 18.5" barrel.   But, that's just me.